Tuesday, November 29, 2005

On Claypool

I mentioned the Claypool situation yesterday in my Linkblogging, and it seems to have reignited the WeboComicsBlogoNet. (Not my mention, mind you ... the issue itself.) The long and the short of the issue is that Diamond Distributors is taking a harder stance on titles that continually undersell, and Claypool Comics is the first victim. There's a thread at the Engine, containing the high level of discussion that has become it's trademark. In another Engine thread, Larry Young shows why he's Larry Young and you're not. There were some excellent comments right here by some Focused Totalitarians: as Guy points out, Jason Rodriguez called this ages ago. I even find myself agreeing with ADD, which is rare.

I have nothing against Claypool. I am sure they are fine people, and they may even make fine comics. I remember reading an issue or two of Elvira because Kurt Busiek was writing, and they've been publishing Peter David's creator-owned series for years: they do not lack for talent. What they appear to lack is a strong marketing vision and a commitment to be aggressive in getting the word out. I'd wager that Peter David has enough fans (and perhaps new ones coming in off his Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man gig) to keep a title afloat, if they knew it was out there. But even if they were to stumble across Soulsearchers & Co. in a store, his name is nowhere to be seen, and they'd pass it by.

James Meely
feels that we need to question the Diamond monopoly. He may be right: there's a lot of good comics being crushed underneath the treads of the Diamond juggernaut. If Diamond ever comes with their vorpal blade for Elk's Run, I may join his cries of protest. "Please hold off on the snicker-snack," I'll say. "Those cats are working their asses off to get readers with quality product and aggressive, inventive outreach. They are trying as hard as they can, and deserve a chance. They've exhausted every marketing they can from cover design to a excellent website to retailer outreach to stone-cold messageboard pimpin'." I can't look at Claypool's site or cover design or online presence and see a publisher that's pushing the limits of what can be done.

Just to be a complete contrarian, I think this represents an opportunity for Elk's Run, and other small-press titles. What occurred to me the moment I heard that Diamond would be enforcing sales thresholds is that maybe this will help comics. The policy has generally been perceived as a kowtow to the Big Two, a stifling of competition. Diamond is seen as an unfeeling conglomerate trying to stifle True Comics Art. I wonder if, instead, Diamond is doing Indy publishers a favor by winnowing the chaff, and presenting opportunity for publishers and creators who want to get aggressive. It's not like Diamond is canceling titles that they deem to be artistic or thought-provoking: they are canceling titles that no one is buying or reading. That back end of Previews is thick, confusing, and mind-numbing. If there's a little less Claypool and Tarot and Heroic Publishing, maybe there's a better chance for Speakeasy, AiT/PlanetLar, and Oni. If retailers and consumers don't have to page through reams of LesbianVampireTitExplosion, maybe they will more easily find Casanova.

Is that Diamond listing even making a difference? If Claypool isn't meeting thresholds with a creator-owned Peter David title .... is the Diamond listing doing anything? Anything that couldn't be recouped by a robust webstore or using another distributor like Cold Cut? I realize there are a lot of shops that only order through Diamond, but they obviously aren't ordering Claypool titles anyways. The problem here isn't Diamond, it's low sales. If you can fix that problem, Diamond takes care of itself. And there are many techniques available before "Don't let the Big, Bad Diamond blow our house down!"

Like making your house of brick.

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15 comments:

James Meeley said...

Mark:

I certainly think you are right about Claypool needing to get more aggressive in their merketing. But I think you are missing the potential bigger issue with Diamond's policy.

Yes, the loss of Claypool would seem to be very small, when you just look at what the loss of their titles ALONE mean. It's just another small publisher who's work didn't sell. Not the first time it has happened, an probably not the last.

But what Diamond's policy does, once current publishers start to get cut, ones who've been around for a while (and with Claypool being almost 15 years old as a company, they must have been selling something to still be here today), it send a potentially dangerous message to NEW publishers and start-ups. That unless they can assure sales right out of the gate, they better not look to Diamond to supply their works.

Now, if there were viable alternatives to Diamond, that wouldn't be so much of a problem. But the virtual monopoly they have on the distribution of comics in the world, and specifically North America, if you aren't getting listed in Diamond's catalog, you can pretty much count yourself out of being a part of the marketplace as a whole.

This is why I feel that looking more at breaking the Diamond stranglehold on distribution is the bigger issue that needs focus, rather than the fact Claypool needs more agrressive marketing. Because no matter what Claypool's fate ends up being, the larger issue will still be there.

Of course, that's just how I see. I could be wrong.

Mark Fossen said...

But the virtual monopoly they have on the distribution of comics in the world, and specifically North America, if you aren't getting listed in Diamond's catalog, you can pretty much count yourself out of being a part of the marketplace as a whole.

Heidi pegs the cutoff at around 600 copies. I'm thinking that if you can't sell 600 copies with Diamond ... you should probably count yourself out. If you can't hit 600 copies, you don't have a retail presence. For those new publishers ... if you can't sell 600 copies, maybe you need to investigate other avenues instead of Diamond.

I produced many a play in my day, and some of them sold horribly - we canceled performances because there was no audience. I didn't expect Ticketmaster to list me, though ... or to advertise for me.

James Meeley said...

"Heidi pegs the cutoff at around 600 copies. I'm thinking that if you can't sell 600 copies with Diamond ... you should probably count yourself out."

And when you start a new business, what's the first thing they tell you? Don't expect a profit for up to the first five years of business. Granted, some buck that trend, but by and large that's the rule.

Now, transplant that on a start-up publisher. They have no "reader base" yet, they are a completely untested quantity. How hard is it to get those 600 copies to sell? Harder than you might think. And it might have anything to do with sub-par work, or lack of marketing skill, why they won't sell at first. Should you be told to throw in the towel, just because you can't hit a home run your first time up to bat? That's what Diamond's new policy will tell you.

"For those new publishers ... if you can't sell 600 copies, maybe you need to investigate other avenues instead of Diamond."

Exactly what avenues are those, Mark? This is the problem with Diamond's monopoly. It doesn't allow for a lot of other avenues to be worthwhile for a new publisher. They really have staked the deck into a catch-22 for a new publisher. And until their strnaglehold is broken, don't expect things to change.

Jason said...

Here's the problem, James. There are four types of indie comics guys:

1) The ones that get into Diamond and see it as an opportunity and in turn promote the hell out of their book. Their book looks good, reads well and sells well.
2) The ones that get into Diamond and see it as an opportunity and in turn promote the hell out of their book. Their book looks good, reads poorly and tanks after the first issue.
3) The ones that get into Diamond and see it as a privilege and in turn think their customers should come to them. Their book doesn’t sell despite how it looks or reads.
4) The ones that don’t get into Diamond.

Now here’s the thing, the people in groups 2, 3 and 4 don’t belong in Diamond. That’s not a privileged statement or a “I’m better than you statement” – Diamond is for people who are willingly offering to compete with Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, IDW, Tokyo Pop, etc. They are throwing themselves into an arena where their book should look as good and read as well as any book produced by the big guys. The reads as well or better part – no problem. The looks as good, eh, that’s tough. But you also need to be willing to promote your book in a way that makes the retailers turn to the back of Previews, past the Marvels and DCs, and search out your book. You’re at a disadvantage, sure, but you accepted that disadvantaged at the start and you felt you can overcome it.

If that’s you’re attitude you are in group 1 and you will likely do well. You may not make money, the Lord knows we haven’t, but you won’t be in danger of getting pulled.

For the rest, the people that don’t belong in Diamond, they need to come up with a better distribution method, true, but at the same time they can’t expect to do 600+ copies with another distributor if they can’t do it with Diamond. They need to come to terms with the fact that they are not on that level.

James Meeley said...

Jason:

You maek a LOT of very valid points. I really don't think that anyone with an ounce of brains (and I consider myself to have at least that much) is going to argue those points with you.

However, you note the disadvantage any non-mainstream publisher (note, I don't call them "small press" or "independant", which I explain in a minute) has even being in the Diamond catalog. Now, add in needing to "come out swinging" from the opening gate. Makes it even harder to see4 doing so as worthwhile. The last thing we want to do is get creative minds to feel it's "too hard" or "not worth it" to publish their ideas. Diamond's new policy could very well stifle a lot more voices than we think.

You noted that for folks who are starting with a "slow burn" they need other distribution opitions. That's good, it begins to address some of the problems with that aspect of the industry. Unfrotunately, I don't see anyone actively looking to find or create those options. That's the real problem. And one of the biggest obstacles in that is the chokehold Diamond has on the distribution side of the market, which is why it needs to change.

Now, this wasn't something that happened overnight, so I'm not expecting some miracle to change it in that same amout of time. But until harder looks are given to the distribution side of comics, and specifically at Diamond and their policies, we can never even hope to create the types of "other avenues" you and Mark suggest smaller non-mainstream publishers need.

As I've already said, this issue goes far beyond just Claypool's current woes. And no matter what happens to them in the end (although I do hope they survive this), we should look at their situation as a warning of things to come if changes AREN'T made to the distribution side of the market.

This is why, despite what changes Claypool themselves need to take (and I agree they need to make some), the larger issue of distribution needs to be addressed. But it hasn't been in the past, which is why it's in the state it is now. Hopefully, if nothing else, Claypool's situation (and the coverage it seems to be getting) will finally get some light thrown on it, so that real changes can be conceived of and implimented to make the market a bit less hostile to those who can't hit a home run at their first at bat.

(Oh, and about the "small press" thing, I call ALL independant publishers non-mainstream, because the only thing they are "independant" of is the chains of corporate suits being involved in the creative process and "small press" is an insult, because a print run doesn't and should determine a comic's value as entertainment.)

Thanks to both you and Mark for making this discussion so engrossing. We might not create the solutions from it, but we can at least figure out what questions should be asked, which is always the first step.

Jason said...

You make some good points as well but here’s how I kind of see it and this is where business Jason steps in. Business Jason is a guy who, at my 9-5, does very well for himself by being a calculating mother f’er. Business Jason has yet to really translate to comics yet, because sometimes it feels like the comic community wants to be a socialist little club and I’m all “Yay capitalism.”

But honestly, if you have an idea that you’re hot for and you have a love for the concept and a passion for the project and you get all jazzed up about producing it and you want to bring it to the world – you want it nationally distributed and you want people to read this book all over America and beyond, if possible. If you want all of that and get scared off by Diamond not giving you preferential treatment – you’re lying to yourself and you don’t want what you’re saying you want.

Comics is an art, yeah. And if you’re out there hand-pressing minis and going to small press shows and hustling your book – giving out freebees - and trying to bring people your art, trying to share you voice with anyone that will listen than it’s all good – you are an artist despite how many books you sell.

The moment you commit to Diamond you are a business man. Business men don’t scare off, they do business. They market, they promote – the fully understand that at this moment they’re a small fish in a big pond but they also realize they have something the people want and they find a way to get it into their hands. If you’re honestly scared off by Diamond’s policy you’re not a business man. You’re still an artist; you still have your outlet. But you’re not a business man (or woman, obviously).

Diamond is a business. 35% of their revenue comes from Marvel. 35% of their revenue comes from DC. Of course they’re going to cater to them. When you step into Diamond’s world you’re the guy whose book is five rows down from Stephen King in the horror section at Barnes & Noble. You’re the independent film maker who wants to release your critically acclaimed movie the same day Star Wars is coming out. And that’s not unfair, that’s business, because right now you’re not making Diamond a dime.

IDW defeated it. Ait defeated it. Even companies with niche fanbases like Arcana defeated it (although you should all go and buy Jay Busbee’s Sundown Arizona from Arcana niche or not). And they all started as a small little company with a single book, no fanbase, and just enough love from Diamond to solicit their books.

I'm not going to shed a tear for the person who gives up. For every person who has something to give and doesn't follow through there's a Tom Bedland and a Robert Kirkman and a David Lapham.

Hell, there's even an Elk's Run, soliciting right now in Previews, issue 6 under Speakeasy Comics. Got an "A" in Entertainment Weekly months before we moved to Speakeasy. How's that for a small press book that has nothing but our sweat pushing it?

So, in conclusion, Elk's RUn #6 in Previews. Speakeasy. Please order.

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez said...

Publishing, in general, is a tough industry to succeed in; niches like comics, exponentially so. While Diamond's de facto monopoly does have many negatives, the fact of the matter is they earned it by surviving the direct market's collapse in the 90s, and they've since reinforced their position via exclusive deals with several smaller indies that leaves the Cold Cuts, FMs, etc. picking at the leftovers. (Until, of course, the leftovers get big enough for Diamond to dangle an exclusive deal their way, a la IDW.) Unfair? Sure. But that's the reality we live in and just because comics are "art" doesn't change the fact that they are a commercial endeavor and have to play by the rules of commerce.

Instead of bemoaning the unfairness of Diamond's cutoff policy, savvy publishers should be proactively exploring other distribution methods, including mainstream bookstores, libraries, direct sales online, and direct outreach to the largest direct market retailers.

Of Diamond's approx. 3000 accounts, I've seen estimates that less than 10% order anything from the back of Previews that isn't specifically pre-ordered or have a big-name creative team attached. (And even then, there's no guarantees.) That's 300 retailers any publisher with a legitimate business plan should be targeting directly, cutting out the middleman and offering a better deal than Diamond could.

There's also the harsh reality that the serial format just isn't viable for most indie publishers anymore. Retailers don't trust them to stay in business long enough to be worth the investment, and they're understandably not going to want to tie up money in a series that may never be completed. Readers are the same way.

IMO, the OGN model is the smartest route for new/small publishers without a significant market presence. It's a higher initial investment, but it's potential is much greater in the long-term.

Jason said...

IMO, the OGN model is the smartest route for new/small publishers without a significant market presence. It's a higher initial investment, but it's potential is much greater in the long-term.

Looks like I'm at Fossen's place all night tonight.

Whereas I agree to an extent, you also have to work harder to get that OGN distributed. One shot for the most part. One shot for a new comer with a book that costs $9.99 or higher. Combined with the fact that you need to get a creative team to commit for 128 pages or so in order to get a significant bookstore penetration (it's tough getting people to commit to a single issue most of the time) and the high initial cost makes the OGN out the gate a BIG risk.

My opinion on the best way to do it - slow burn a series, hustle it as hard as you can for as low a cost as you can manage, build a buzz, get someone else to publish the trade for you to recoup your losses. Use that contact to pitch your next series.

Mark Fossen said...

James -
Exactly what avenues are those, Mark? This is the problem with Diamond's monopoly. It doesn't allow for a lot of other avenues to be worthwhile for a new publisher.
It cuts out a lot of the Direct Market - but they weren't ordering anyways, were they? The small handful of stores that would have stocked Claypool are probably in the same group as those who will look at Cold Cut, etc.

Or Claypool could offer direct-to-retailer services, like Hoarse And Buggy.

Or work out new channels - webstores, etc.

As for those new publishers being scared away, fine. Maybe they'll be scared enough to take the kind of aggressive tactics that others have. Or scared enough to make sure their product is rock solid. or scared enough to put a full series in the can before soliciting.

Jason -

What do you think of the idea that by culling some dead weight from "The Back Of The Book", the remaining books could do better? I only speak from personal experience of doing mail order purchases using Previews - my eyes glaze over, and even the best solicitations have a hard time registering.

And ... way to stay on message, Jason. :)

Jason said...

What do you think of the idea that by culling some dead weight from "The Back Of The Book", the remaining books could do better?

Well, since you asked, from the Buzzscope article you linked to above, my words:

You know what? If Diamond wants to kill orders fewer than 1500 I think that’s good for the industry. Because the good indie books won’t be buried in the noise of all the crap that’s out there and maybe some viable competitors to the big, bad companies can start to grab a bigger hold of the market and actually become competitors. Do it fairly, that’s all. Start a program where you cut the lowest ten or twenty percent of the books being offered that month. Repeat for three months and then set-up the 1500 order rule. Give newer books three solicits to prove their merit. I hate this idea that anyone that slaps together a book is privileged. I’m sorry that your book doesn’t sell. Adapt or make it better.

That's when I thought the cut-off was 1500. It holds double for 600.

Mark Fossen said...

I found an interesting quote in The Comics Journal's attack on the Diamond policy: "A new title would have one shot and one shot only to attract orders via a three-inch listing in Diamond's Previews catalog."
Well ... yeah. If all you use for marketing is a three-inch blurb in Previews ... you're not going to sell. Would a brick-n-mortar list in the yellow pages, and nothing else?

Jason said...

Mark, you don’t’ understand. Comic creators are privileged. I mean, who else can make a comic? Besides the three-inches of people in the back of Previews and the people who don’t get into Previews and my four-year-old cousin who draws a cute Spider-Man?

Marketing? What good ever came of marketing?

James Meeley said...

To Jason and everyone else:

This will probably be my final comment on this, since I feel we've pretty much made all out points and hit the main issues. I just wanted to pint out one final thing.

It seem the concensus is that publishers (especially new ones) really need to hustle to get the work into others hands and should rely solely on the distribution side to do that. I agree and hopefully, in the case of Claypool, they will get the push in numbers they need to stay afloat and have the chance to change what they need to show others what should be done.

But I also noticed that folks noted that the way Diamond has a virtual chokehold on the distribution of comics, as well as some of it's policies in how they do that, is unfair and makes a difficult job for a publisher (especially a new one) even harder. Yet, you seem to just shrug at that, saying how unfair it is, as "well, that's just business."

You see, this is what I was talking about earlier. The distribution side of this industry is rarely held up to the light of accountability for what THEY could improve or change to make the system a little bit easier and fair for all publishers. This is why, through out all the great discussion, I've held to the fact that Diamond's monopoly and policies need to be looked at very strongly. It's obvious that the distribution side to comics is "broken" and need to be improved. That's the only way to get a lasting change that will make this more fair and equitable for all publishers.

Again, I don't expect a miracle, as the problem didn't pop up overnight, but we can't just continue to "sweep this under the rug" and let it hide behind such platitudes as "that's just business." If you know something is unfair, you should do what you can to either expose it or work to get it made more fair. And everyone here has pretty much said (in intent, if not actual word) that some of what Diamond does IS unfair. So, let's work to fixing that, or at least getting people who can fix it to notice the problems.

What should decide a comic's worth, shouldn't be a "business policy", it should be the individual who actually has read the work. Let work to make that more a reality and less of a "pipe dream."

Thanks again, to you all, for such an intelligent and spirited discussion. It gives me some small hope that things CAN be changed for the better in this industry.

Mark Fossen said...

What should decide a comic's worth, shouldn't be a "business policy", it should be the individual who actually has read the work. Let work to make that more a reality and less of a "pipe dream."
I agree with that completely James. I just feel like I don't want to hand Diamond those keys. I don't want Diamond saving the industry anymore than I want DC/Marvel defining it.

It's up to creators like Jason and Larry Young to save comics. It's up to commentators like you and I. It's up to retailers and consumers. Diamond's just a middleman - I don't expect or want them to define "art".

If anything, maybe this sets up an end-run around Diamond. I can't believe that the fundamentals of the Direct Market haven't changed since it's inception. There must be other ways to do things.

Jason said...

There must be other ways to do things.

I give out Peanut Butter Cups at conventions. Works every time.

No, good discussion all around. And I'm nowhere near Larry's level yet because I talk crap while spending other people's money.

For now.